NEWS
GUANGZHOU-BASED HOPE & SESAME CROWNED ASIA’S BEST BAR 2026
By Staff Reporter
29-7-2026
Source: Asia’s 50 Best Bars Awards 2026
A mainland Chinese bar has claimed the No.1 spot in Asia’s 50 Best Bars for the first time in the ranking’s history. Guangzhou-based Hope & Sesame was crowned The Best Bar in Asia 2026 at the annual awards ceremony held at Wynn Palace Macau, breaking the long-standing dominance by Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore venues at the top of the regional lead table.
Organised by 50 Best and voted by over 300 cross-industry experts across 18 Asian territories, the 2026 edition reshapes Asia’s premium bar hierarchy, with Greater China, Thailand and South Korea emerging as the three definitive powerhouse markets that define the continent’s modern mixology landscape.
Greater China delivered its strongest performance to date, securing the region’s first-ever mainland Chinese No.1 title alongside consistent elite representation from Hong Kong and Macau.
Leading the breakthrough is Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame, a seven-time ranked venue recognised for its signature fusion of Cantonese culinary culture, local seasonal ingredients and technical precision.
Its historic victory signals the full maturation of mainland China’s high-end bar scene, which has rapidly evolved from Western-style cocktail replication to culturally rooted, original mixology creation.
The Greater China accounts for 11 entries on the 2026 list. Hong Kong remains a premium cocktail hub, holding seven ranked venues, led by Bar Leone at No.3 — the highest-ranking Hong Kong bar this year.
Shenzhen solidified its status as a new-generation cocktail capital with two top 10 placements: MO Bar Shenzhen (No.5) and Obsidian Bar (No.10).
Additional mainland representation spans Shanghai, Changsha, Chengdu and Beijing, demonstrating the nationwide expansion of China’s craft bar market.
Macau also retained a stable elite presence via The St. Regis Bar Macau at No.45.
Bangkok continues to anchor Southeast Asia’s bar innovation, balancing sustainability, experimental creativity and commercial refinement.
Its top performer, Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No.4), leads Thailand’s new wave of zero-waste, ingredient-focused venues.
Bar Us (No.6), winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, and Lennon’s (No.7), the year’s Highest New Entry, further prove Bangkok’s ability to continuously launch influential new concepts.
With established heavyweights including BKK Social Club and Bar Sathorn also featured, Thailand retains unrivalled depth across mass luxury, high-end bespoke and sustainable bar segments.
South Korea confirmed its place as Asia’s fastest-growing premium bar market, posting four ranked venues and securing the No.2 overall position.
Seoul’s Zest (No.2) spearheaded Korea’s outstanding results, continuing its multi-year reign as the country’s most internationally recognised bar, celebrated for its minimalist technique and refined local-ingredient cocktails.
Completing Seoul’s strong lineup are Alice (No.13), Bar Cham (No.33) and M+MS Bar (No.40).
Korea’s consistent top-tier performance reflects the rapid professionalisation of its domestic craft bar scene, rising consumer demand for premium mixology, and growing global recognition of Korean contemporary beverage culture.
Full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026:
1 Hope & Sesame – Guangzhou
2 Zest – Seoul
3 Bar Leone – Hong Kong
4 Dry Wave Cocktail Studio – Bangkok
5 MO Bar Shenzhen – Shenzhen
6 Bar Us – Bangkok
7 Lennon’s – Bangkok
8 Boilermaker – Goa
9 Jigger & Pony – Singapore
10 Obsidian Bar – Shenzhen
11 Modernhaus – Jakarta
12 Nutmeg & Clove – Singapore
13 Alice – Seoul
14 Vender – Taichung
15 Cosmo Pony – Jakarta
16 Offtrack – Singapore
17 Bar Sathorn – Bangkok
18 Soka – Bengaluru
19 Pony Up – Shanghai
20 BKK Social Club – Bangkok
21 Carrots Bar – Jakarta
22 Gokan – Hong Kong
23 Punch Room Tokyo – Tokyo
24 Coa – Hong Kong
25 Opium – Bangkok
26 Virtù – Tokyo
27 CMYK – Changsha
28 Ralph’s Bar – Chengdu
29 Smoke & Bitters – Hiriketiya
30 Bar Spirit Forward – Bengaluru
31 G.O.D – Bangkok
32 Three X Co – Kuala Lumpur
33 Bar Cham – Seoul
34 Workshop14 – Hanoi
35 To Infinity & Beyond – Taipei
36 Mius – Hong Kong
37 Argo – Hong Kong
38 Bar Trigona – Kuala Lumpur
39 Bar Libre – Tokyo
40 The Golden Tooth – Jakarta
41 The Han-Jia – Tainan
42 M+MS Bar – Seoul
43 Origin Bar – Singapore
44 Problem Child -Makati
45 The St. Regis Bar (Macau) – Macau
46 The Hudson Rooms – Hanoi
47 Montana – Hong Kong
48 Aqua Bar – Bangkok
49 Penicillin – Hong Kong
50 Tiao – Beijing
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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